CHOOSE YOUR SQUAD WELL
Alright, dream with me for a second.. You have a very specific mission you’re supposed to pull off. You need a squad of 5 to accomplish it. You will not be able to accomplish the mission without a squad. So, right now, in your head or count on your fingers, pick your squad of 5. How you feeling about your squad??
Some of you are asking the question: “Wait, what’s the mission? Because that determines my squad!” This is a really important question, isn’t it? If my mission was to decorate my house for Christmas, without hesitation I would select my wife. But if the mission was to sneak behind enemy lines and recover a US prisoner…as lovely as she is, my wife isn’t my first pick. Sorry, babe. I would probably select my friend who’s served with the Marines for 3 tours. And 3 of his friends.
Our mission in life should determine our squad. Our squad should be determined by our mission.
The statement above implies 2 choices we have to make: First, we have a choice to make: “What will be my mission in life?” That’s another article for another time. And this principle can apply to anything - whether you want to get a six-pack, become wealthy, grow in leadership skills, etc. For now, we’re going to assume that your personal mission in life is to follow Jesus Christ and help others follow Him. This is a decision everyone needs to make for themselves.
In selecting our squad, we must start with the mission. Many people have never actually selected a mission for their life. And when this happens, we begin to live however our squad lives. Our squad begins to determine our mission in life, rather than the other way around. Have you determined your mission? Or are you just going with the flow?
Second, we have a choice about who will be or won’t be in our squad. When I say squad, I’m referring to the 5 people that are closest to you. And we find great insights from the Bible on this topic. Read through the thoughts below and see how your squad stacks up!
squad (defined): the 5 people you are intentionally choosing to walk through life with.
Why is this so important?
Proverbs 13:20 says, “Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.”
One thing is abundantly clear from this verse: Who you spend time with, influences you. And likewise: Who you don’t spend time with, doesn’t influence you. God has determined people to be one of the biggest influences of our life. Wisdom, here, is referring to the kind of wisdom that is equated with loving and fearing God.
Are you spending time with people who influence you toward greater godly wisdom? Who do you spend regular time with that influences you to love God more? And vice versa, who are you not spending time with, that you should be? Or on the negative side of things, is there anyone in your squad that, if your honest, encourages you to not love God? Maybe there’s someone your squad that’s actually harming your faith. Remember, a “companion of fools suffers harm.” Be intentional about your squad. Maybe you can’t find 5 right now, then pick 2 or 3. Prioritize them. Don’t wait for it to fall into place.
What kind of squad should I select? What qualities should they have?
1 - They know their rabbit.
“If you chase 2 rabbits, they both get away.” They know what they’re chasing in life. They know how to focus and it’s clear which direction they’re going in life: running from sin and toward God. 2 Timothy 2:22
2 - They’re bar-raisers.
They inspire you to be more and do more. They encourage you to get out of your comfort zone. You know they’re going to pursue Christ wholeheartedly and that motivates you to do the same. Ephesians 4:29, Proverbs 27:17
3 - They got the guts to face their buts.
People make excuses. A lot. “I would get in shape but…” “I would have higher grades but…” “I would go to Bible study but… “I would read my Bible but…” We all have buts. It takes guts to face these buts. You want a squad who does the right things. They don’t just talk about it or make excuses. They simply do it. 2 Timothy 1:7
4 - They just don’t care.
Read this quote by Martin Treptow, a private in WWI: “America must win this war. Therefore I will work, I will save, I will sacrifice, I will endure, I will fight cheerfully and do my utmost, as if the issue of the whole struggle depended on me alone.’’ Martin Treptow didn’t care what anybody else thought, he was going to win this war. If you’re going to follow Christ in college, you’ll receive some hate at some point. Doing anything worthwhile will accumulate haters these days. You need people who will keep going and can encourage you when you face the chatter from the sidelines. Acts 4:19-20, 5:29
5 - They are who you want to be.
Straightforward. An easy way to consider your squad: Are they who I want to be? 1 Corinthians 11:1
Fight for the right squad. Your life will largely be determined by it!
Discuss this article with someone you respect and ask them for any thoughts they have in regards to your squad.